Falling For A Professor
by Lady In Emerald Eyes
Summary: A certain professor has come to Hogwarts and Ginny is falling headoverheels for him. One problem: she's a student...
1. Chapter 1

**Falling For A Professor **

**By: foralskelse**

Chapter 1: Why Me?

Ginny was walking backwards up the stairs to Hogwarts on her first day of her last year at Hogwarts. She was listing her top 10 reasons why this year was going to be the best year. "Number 4: We all have our Apparating License, even though we can't do it on school grounds."

Ginny suddenly felt the trilling sensation of falling as her foot slipped on the wet stones, but fortunately, her fall was broken by the steps rushing up to smack her bum. "Oww..." She opened her eyes and saw all her friends laughing. She laughed too, and allowed herself to be helped up by Helen 'Kiki' Jones, who was a beautiful, slender, but shallow blond who happened to be Ginny's best friend. "Hey," Ginny would respond, when people asked how they could be friends, "opposites attract." On her other side, Dawn Davies helped her up. Dawn was a smart girl who would laugh at anything. It was not uncommon for someone to say, "Dawn, it looks like it's going to rain," and she would laugh her head off.

Ginny glared at the two boys in her group, Colin Creevey and Xander Jeffory, "Some gentlemen you two are." Ginny then dusted off her back side and continued to walk. She stole a glance at Xander and glared at him. He laughed. Xander was the complete opposite of Colin, who looked as though he just got out of bed and was ready to face the world. Xander, on the other hand, looked as though he spent more than 10 minutes in the bathroom before he was ready to get his school bag out of his trunk.

"Alright, two more, Number 2: We are considered adults even though some of us don't act like it." She took this moment to start walking backwards through the Great Hall between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables while glaring at the two boys. "Ok, finally the Number One reason that it is great to be 17 years old and in our 7th year at Hogwarts," she gave a dramatic pause and continued, "No-"

She had bumped into someone, whose arms where clutching hers so she didn't fall. She turned around, "Harry!" His green eyes were twinkling at her from behind his glasses. It was so ironic, she was going to say Harry. The Number One reason that it is great that they are 17 and in their last year at Hogwarts is no Harry, no butterflies, no resurfaced feelings, no knight in shining armor, none of that. 

"Hey, Ginny, its good to see you," He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her, pinning her upper arms to her side. She felt warmth rush over her and the familiar feeling of butterflies and not being able to form a simple sentence around him.

"Harry, w-what are you doing here?" 'Good,' she thought, 'I managed a complete sentence with only one stutter.'

Harry let go and squeezed her arm, which made her melt. "You'll find out soon." He gave a cocky grin and winked at her, then turned back to the Head table and started to talk to the Headmaster.

Ginny was staring after him with the dazed eyes she usually had when looking at him. She blushed slightly when she realized that he had just given her a hugged and winked.

"Ginny? Hello?" Dawn began to wave her arm frantically in front of Ginny's face between giggles.

"Sorry," Ginny turned and sat down, "what did you say?"

"Number 1? No what?" Colin asked in his high pitched tenor voice.

"No Harry." Ginny sighed and looked back up to the table where Harry was now talking to Hagrid. Harry sat on the edge of his seat as if he really didn't belong in it and was waiting for the owner to come back and claim it. "Guess it changed to my top nine reasons." Ginny rested her chin on the palm of her hand.

"Gin, you so pathetic." Kiki said while examining her red finger nails. 

"Thank you, Kiki, for being so sensitive," Ginny said sarcastically.

"Shut up," Xander said, "Dumbledore is trying to talk." The five friends shut up immediately and looked up at the white haired headmaster who was looking quite old at the moment.

"Welcome newcomers and welcome back to those who have been here before." Dumbledore motioned to McGonagall to bring forth the Sorting Hat. Ginny listened quietly to the Sorting Hat's annual song and gave little bouts of laughter directed toward the First years. She cheered along with the rest of her table as the small children became Gryffindors and ignored the yells and cheering from the Slytherin table when they acquired any new residents.

"Well, now that our new students have found their new houses, let me welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, whom I am sure most of you know, what being Harry Potter and all." There were a lot of cheers at this moment. Ginny looked up at Harry who was sitting between Hagrid and Professor Flitwick.

Her eyes looked the size of Ruffles she was so shocked, she didn't even start cheering until halfway into it. Harry looked through the crowd at her. She felt the breath get caught up in her throat. Ginny gave a weak smile and Harry winked at her. 'Two,' she thought lamely, 'two winks.'

Their eye contact broken, Harry turned to Hagrid who began to shake Harry's hand with tears in his eyes. Ginny thought that if Hagrid didn't stop giving his congratulations soon, Harry might have tears in his own eyes. Ginny tore her eyes away from him just as Flitwick praised him too. 

"You know, Ginny," Xander said, as the cheering died down and the food appeared, "its not right for you to have a crush on a teacher." Ginny picked up and dinner roll and threw it at Xander. He laughed heartedly.

Ginny found that she couldn't eat more than a few spoonfuls of soup and a swig of pumpkin juice. She kept looking over at Harry who was in deep conversation which Flitwick. Every now and then he would look up at Ginny and smile, making her blush and feel the butterflies again. 'Stop looking if you don't want him to catch you,' she kept telling herself. 

After dessert, which she found she couldn't eat much of either, Dumbledore made his usual announcements. Which included: no magic in the corridors and the Forbidden Forest is just that, forbidden. Ginny got up and began to walk out of the Great Hall with her friends. They were talking animatedly and Ginny stayed quiet. 

"Ginny!" Harry grabbed her arm and she turned around. So did her friends. "Ginny, isn't this great?" He looked like a little kid in a candy store who just got the key to the back room.

Ginny smiled. "Yes, but," Ginny paused. 'Something witty, Ginny, say something witty,' she yelled at herself. "I won't have to call you 'Professor Potter,' now will I?" 'Ah,' she inwardly shrugged, 'it will do.'

"Of course you will!" Harry said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What if I don't, Harry," she emphasized his name.

He smiled and leaned in with that cocky grin of his and his eyes twinkled again. He looked as though he was about to burst out laughing. The mirth ringing in his low tone as he said "You'll get detention." Then he walked off.

Ginny smiled and fell back into Colin and Xander's arms. She struggled to stand up but she could still feel his warm pepper-minty breath on her face.

"Was he just flirting with Ginny?" Dawn asked Kiki.

Kiki rolled her eyes, "With him, who knows." Kiki turned to Ginny, "Of course you know him better than we do, was he flirting?"

Ginny shrugged and was all pink and flustered. "I don't know. But, Oh Merlin, I hope so." 

Colin slapped her hand. It was joke they shared for a long time. Anyone in the group who had a bad idea or a bad thought got a slap on the hand. "What?" Ginny asked turning to him. 

"Ginny, he is a teacher. You know how many wizard and muggle laws that you would break if you and he got involved?" With that, Ginny received three more slaps from Dawn, Kiki, and Xander. Everyone began to laugh.

"Colin," Ginny said suppressing a giggle, "just because I want him and I to be involved doesn't mean we are going to be. I mean, to him, I am just Ron's little sister. Also, think about it; Harry graduated last year with my big brother, Harry practically lived with my family every summer since I was 11, plus he doesn't know many people still at Hogwarts except me, so he feels closer to me than usual, he was probably just joking." Ginny said the last part with a little disappointment.

"Gin, remind me again why you had gotten over your crush on him back in 4th year." Kiki said with a rather bored tone. But Ginny knew better. Kiki was trying to get Ginny to remember those emotions she used to get over him, so that she could get over him again.

"It was," Ginny said, as she stopped as a large group of Ravenclaws passed in front of them, "when I had a boyfriend, Michael--" She trailed off because he just passed by in the group.

"Oh..." Kiki looked at Xander to get him to help her change the subject. 

"Well, that settles it then?" Xander said and Ginny took her eyes off of her ex, who ignored her, so she could look at Xander. "We get you a boyfriend." He said like it was as plain as day.

"A boyfriend?" Ginny bit her bottom lip.

"Its not impossible," Xander pointed out, "I mean, let your hair down." He pulled the ribbon out of her bun and it fell to her mid back with thick curls. "Loosen your tie and unbutton one or two at the top." As he said it, he began to do as such. "Make your skirt a little shorter." He grabbed the waist and picked it up a little which made Ginny squirm.

"Hey, hey, hey!" She poked him, "Watch your hands." She glared at him and accidentally let a giggle out.

"Look," Xander told the others, who lined up in front of Ginny, "I call it 'Hopeless Case,' but, it will do," he said like an artist. The others clapped politely or snapped their fingers like people do after someone reads a poem. Ginny kicked Xander's backside as he took a bow. "Hey!" He rubbed his bum and added, "You do look good."

"Don't try to butter me up, Jeffory."

Xander rolled his eyes, "Hysteria," he said and the portrait opened. "Good night, ladies," he said as he walked up the stairs with Colin. Ginny, Dawn, and Kiki walked up their own staircase. They were giggling about something when they entered their dorm.

"Will you please shut it," one of their roommates called, "we are trying to get some sleep before classes tomorrow." Ginny suppressed her giggles and tip toed around the room grabbing her pajamas and pushing her friends.

As she descended into bed, she remembered that Harry was going to be her teacher. She just prayed that she didn't have him until Thursday, Friday, or never.


	2. Chapter 2

**Falling For A Professor**

**By: foralskelse**

Chapter 2: No, Please!

Ginny walked into the Great Hall the next morning with Dawn, who looked utterly pooped. Ginny smiled, "Tired?"

Dawn turned and glared at her. Ginny smiled, "What? Do I snore?"

Dawn smiled slightly at this, "No, I spent half the night writing about your predicament in my diary."

Ginny giggled and said, "Aw, I'm flattered." She brought her hand to her heart as though had she won an award.

Dawn rolled her eyes and they sat down with Kiki and Xander. Ginny's stomach let out a large growl which caused the three sitting around her to look up from their plates as she grabbed a muffin, broke it in half, covered it with butter, and devoured half of it in one bite. They all stared at her. "What?" she said through a mouth full of chocolate chip, "I didn't eat much last night."

The disgusted silence was broken when Colin walked over to them and passed out their schedules. "Today's Wednesday, right?" Colin asked. 

"No, Tuesday," Dawn said, scanning the paper until she got to the current day. "Herbology first."

"Then we have Divination." Kiki said to Xander and Ginny.

"We have Muggle studies," Dawn said to Colin. Ginny grinned to herself, Colin, a muggle-born, only took Muggle Studies in his 3rd year because he had a huge crush on Dawn. Ginny was sure that he still had it.

"Then," Colin said looking at Ginny, "after Lunch, look." They all skimmed till they reached the place where it said what their last class on Tuesday was.

Ginny blushed and her eyes grew wide as she looked up at the teacher's table to see Harry eating a bagel. "Defense Against the Dark Arts," Ginny sighed.

"We have him again on Thursday." Dawn said.

"Thank Merlin we only have two classes on Friday. Look at Monday and Wednesday. They are packed with classes. We must be doing five classes on just one day." Kiki tossed her timetable in her bag and sighed.

Ginny finished the rest of her muffin and got up with the rest of her friends to head for the green houses.

Ginny left the North Tower, wiping her forehead on her sleeve. "Why can't she just open a window?" Xander said as he, too, dried his sweat drenched face.

"If she is a real Seer, can't she See that we are burning up in there?" Ginny growled.

"After walking up all those flights of stairs, just getting over a hot summer, and have to be trapped up there, does she not know that heat rises?" Kiki said, compact in hand and fixing her make-up.

They entered the Great Hall still ranting about their divination lesson.

"So," Xander said, sitting down across from Ginny like he did the night before, "who is the lucky guy going to be?"

"What?" Ginny asked while putting noodles on her plate.

"Your new boyfriend?" Xander leaned over and put his hand on her forehead, "Don't you remember?"

Ginny pushed his hand away from her face, "Well, nobody is really that appealing."

"What you mean is, 'Nobody is as appealing as Harry Potter,'" Colin supplied.

"Thank you, Colin," Ginny said very loudly and her trade mark sarcastic tone.

Ginny lingered behind. She didn't want to go to Harry's class. She didn't want to move at all. The bell chimed to tell them they had five minutes to go up three flights of stairs. Ginny finally agreed to get up and they jogged up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

As they walked down the corridor, Ginny noticed the door was open. She waited until the rest of her friends went in, then she did. Harry wasn't in there.

Ginny found the last seat, which was in the center of the room. She sat at the table with Xander. Ginny took the chair on the inside of the middle aisle. The whole class was talking to each other, comparing hair styles or theories on Harry's first upcoming class when he entered the room.

"Hello Class," he said, walking to his desk, his robes billowing behind him. Ginny looked down quickly. Her stomach gave a lurch and she was blushing.

"Hello, Professor," the class chorused.

"Hello, Professor," Ginny said, a little off. Harry looked up and smiled at her. She felt that feeling again. The heat rose to her face as he watched her. He looked amused and winked at her.

Xander touched Ginny's shoulder. "Three," she whispered.

"What?" Xander asked, confused.

Ginny looked at him, "He winked at me three times."

"Ginny, in the words of Kiki, 'You are so pathetic.'" Xander and Ginny giggled.

"Alright," Harry said, grabbing a quill and sitting on the edge of his desk. The girls in the class sighed. "I will do the roll so I can try and learn your names." He picked up the piece of parchment next to him. "Baker, Ralph." He scanned the class until he found the outstretched hand.

Harry nodded to Ralph and continued. "Cummings, Sara."

Sara, the girl who yesterday barked at Ginny and her friends in the dorm, raised her dainty hand and said, "Right here, Professor." Harry scanned the room again for the voice and found her in the front row.

"Thank you, Miss Cummings." He returned to the list and continued to call out names and scan the crowd. "Creevey, Colin." Ginny was surprised he had to look, but Colin was still small so she didn't blame him. When he called out Dawn's name she nearly died of laugher. Colin had to pat her back and calm her down to get her to stop.

Harry continued to call name after name. "Jeffory, Rayen?" Harry called out.

Xander raised his hand, "It's Xander, like R-hi-an,"

Harry nodded. "Thank you, Xander." Xander nodded as if to tell Harry, 'That's right.'

Harry kept calling out names and scanning the room. Ginny was watching him with intense eyes.

She noticed how he would give a polite smile at the class and how he didn't seem to notice how the girls would sigh or get excited enough to wet their pants when he called their names. 'He is very attractive,' Ginny told herself. Harry had grown, if possible, more into his looks.

Ginny watched as Harry scanned to find his place on his class roster again. She noticed how the look on his face changed to a smile and he looked up straight at Ginny. "And of course," Harry gave a cocky grin which made Ginny melt again, "Miss Ginny Weasley." He winked again.

Ginny sunk slightly in her chair as half the class (the girls to be more exact) turned to stare at her. Ginny noticed that Sara Cummings was whispering behind her hand to her friend, the other roommate. They both turned their heads sharply causing their hair to hit the faces of the people around them.

Ginny knew they were talking about her, but she didn't care. Harry was noticing her.

"Alright class," Harry said, putting the class roster next to him and placing the quill delicately on top of it. Then turning back to the class, still sitting on the corner of his desk with one leg supporting him on the ground and the other on the side of the desk, he continued, "do you have any questions about the way I teach or the curriculum?"

Sara's hand rose into the air. Harry smiled, "Miss Cott?"

"Cummings, sir." Sara corrected him.

"Sorry, Miss Cummings, you have a question?" Harry motioned to her to ask the question.

"Yes, I do," Sara turned to her friend, Elizabeth Green, who smiled widely.

"Go ahead," Harry said, trying to get her to ask it quickly.

"Are you single?" Sara's cheeks turned pink and Beth was bright red and giggling behind her hand along with most of the other girls in the class. Ginny wasn't amused, but she was curious about his answer. She looked up at him. He had a polite smile and glanced around the class, pausing at Ginny for a second before turning back to Sara.

"Well," he smiled, "it wasn't quite what I was expecting but, yes, I am single." Even more giggling occurred this time. Harry stood up and went behind his desk then looked up. "Well, maybe I should show an example of my teaching method." Harry paused and waited for the class to quiet down more.

"A few years ago I taught some of my friends how to do various jinxes, counter-curses, and ways to protect themselves." He looked at Ginny, "Maybe she wouldn't mind demonstrating her Patronus."

Ginny looked around at her friends who were nodding for her to go show the class. She looked back up and Harry was standing in front of her table with his hand outstretched to help her out of her chair. "Can you please come up to the front of the room, Ginny?"

Ginny slowly picked up her wand with one hand and placed her other hand in Harry's. She looked up at him. Just as she did so, the warmth from his fingers spread over her body and rushed to her face, as he led her to the front of the class. She didn't think that she was nervous about the class, it more about Harry.

"Harry I don't--" Ginny started but he turned around, let go of her hand, and shook his finger around.

"No, no, no, I am Professor Potter, Miss Weasley." Harry put the emphases on Professor.

Ginny bit her bottom lip and smiled, "Fine," she said crossing her arms. "Professor Potter," she mimicked him, "I don't think I can do a Patronus. It has been too long."

"About 3 years," Harry argued, "I am positive you can do it." He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face the class, who were all straining to hear them talking.

"Harry--" Ginny said but Harry shook his head. Ginny rolled her eyes dramatically, "Professor Potter." Harry nodded happily. "I still don't think--"

Harry walked over to her, "Remember," he said touching her arm and rubbing it softly and comforting her. She felt the breath get caught in her lungs and she closed her eyes slowly and looked back up at him, his breath playing on her face as he said, "Think a happy thought and the incantation is 'Expecto Patronum'. Ready?" Ginny nodded slowly. "Alright, here, do it in the center aisle. I think there is enough room, if your Patronus isn't a dragon or something." He pulled her into position and she looked at Xander, who looked completely amused.

Ginny closed her eyes and lifted her wand. 'A happy thought,' she told herself, 'It doesn't need to be a big one...A happy thought... I'm 17. An adult that's happy!' She opened her eyes and looked straight down the aisle. "Expecto Patronum!" she bellowed and the mist shot out of her wand like a water gun. The silver mist flew together in the form of a very large dog. Harry walked over to her as the dog gave a loud bark.

"I never knew it was--" Harry started.

"You never looked," Ginny said simply.

"You never told me that your Patronus was--"

"You never asked." Ginny glanced over at him and the Patronus ran around Ginny and Harry.

"Your Patronus is a giant black dog." Ginny sucked on her bottom lip and looked away. 

"Sir?" Sara raised her dainty hand again.

"Yes, Miss Cummings?" Harry looked over at Sara as Ginny bent down to say good-bye to her Patronus as it faded away.

"You said that her Patronus was a giant black dog, but it was all silvery and white so it couldn't be black," she said smartly.

"So I did. Thank you Miss Cummings." Harry put a hand on Ginny's back, she felt a chill pass through her body and she looked at Harry. "Please take a seat. Twenty-five points to Gryffindor for Miss Weasley's amazing Patronus Charm." Ginny blushed all the way back to her seat.

"Well, well, well," Xander said, smiling at her. She punched him playfully and sat down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Falling For A Professor**

**By: foralskelse**

Chapter 3: Maybe I Should...

A few weeks passed and, thank Merlin, the weather got colder. It still wasn't cold enough to wear cloaks, but Ginny and her friends could all be seen with their scarlet and gold Gryffindor scarves around their necks.

Harry's classes were very interesting. After Ginny's display of her Patronus, they did simple reviews of last years jinxes and curses. The next week they worked on some of the same stuff they did in the DA. It was a lot of fun for Ginny and Colin. They were in the DA so they got top marks in everything Harry taught them.

They were just finishing one of their lessons on a Thursday in early October. "All right class, very good today, five points to Colin for NOT shattering my black board this time." Colin began to blush fiercely. The bell rang and everyone got up to clear their things and get out the door. "Have a nice day. Oh, Ginny, can you please stay after class for a minute."

Ginny nodded and her friend made "Oww," sounds and said things like, "Your in trouble now, Gin!" Harry heard them and just smiled.

"Yes, Harry?" Ginny said, approaching his desk after her friends left the room.

Harry smiled and said, "Excuse me?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Professor Potter."

"You know, if you keep calling me Harry, I will put you in detention," Harry put the emphases on 'will.' 

Ginny rolled her eyes and heard something behind her. It was Sara and Beth, they seemed to be cleaning up Beth's falling bag but they didn't seem like they were in too much of a hurry. Ginny glared as she noticed they were straining their necks to be able to hear Harry's conversation with their roommate.

"What did you want, Professor?" Ginny teased silently, leaning on the desk.

Harry looked up at her and placed a hand on hers. "Have tea with me in my office tomorrow after your last class."

Ginny straightened up and heard glass breaking. She turned around, Sara broke a bottle of hot pink ink. 

Harry ignored them and pulled Ginny back to look at him, "I haven't heard from Ron and Hermione, I want to hear how your family is doing. I've missed them this summer."

Ginny bit her bottom lip and nodded reluctantly, "Tomorrow, my last class is History of Magic, I get done at 2:30."

Harry smiled, "See you at 2:45 then?" He laughed and she nodded.

"Bye Harry." He coughed loudly, "Professor Potter," she growled as she exited the room where Sara and Beth were waiting for her.

"Are you and him," Sara paused as if to find the words. "Together?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and walked down the corridor, "No," she said when they caught up to her.

"Did he just ask you out?" Beth asked, she was panting from trying to keep up with Ginny.

"No." Ginny rolled her eyes and jogged up the stairs. "He is just an old friend of the family who didn't get to see them this summer. He just misses his best friend, my brother." Ginny started to run up the stairs two at a time. How she did this, she didn't know, she had very short legs.

'Thank Goodness,' she said to herself when she reached the common room. She had lost the two vultures. Ginny collapsed on one of the sofas between Xander and Dawn.

"You ok? Sorry we didn't wait for you." Dawn said, while putting down her book.

"What did he want?" Xander asked, nibbling on a sugar quill.

Ginny broke the quill in half and took the piece that wasn't in his mouth to suck on. "He wanted to ask me to tea tomorrow afternoon."

"Did you say yes?" Colin asked, getting out of his stupor.

"Yes," Ginny said stuffing the sugar quill in her mouth more.

"Gin!" Colin yelled.

"It's not a date or anything. He just wants to talk about Ron and Hermione." Ginny felt a little upset because she was probably right, all he would want to talk about is Ron and Hermione.

"Did anyone hear him ask you?" Colin's high pitched voice gave a little squeak.

"Yes," Ginny began to sit up straight.

"Who?"

Ginny pulled one of her legs onto the couch and she rested her chin on her knee, "They just walked in."

Xander, Kiki, Dawn, and Colin all looked up to see who just entered through the portrait hole. Sara and Beth were talking in low voices and they spotted Ginny. They raised their hands to cover their mouths and sprinted across the room and up the stairs to their dorm.

"That didn't look good." Kiki said after a swipe of the emery board on her nails like she was doing before.

"You can say that again." Xander said quietly, still looking at the stairs.

Dawn heard him and started laughing, "All right, 'that didn't look good.'" She managed to say through her giggles. Colin, who was sitting on the floor leaning over the coffee table doing homework, looked up at her and began laughing, sometimes saying, "Good one," before drowning in laughter again.

Ginny looked at Xander and they rolled their eyes in unison. Kiki was too busy filing her nails to really pay attention.

Ginny left the History of Magic classroom the next afternoon with her friends laughing at her. "What?" Ginny rubbed her eyes, 'That darn bell,' she thought, 'I was having a perfectly good nap.'

Kiki, who never really laughed this hard before, pulled out her compact and handed it to Ginny, pointing to her left cheek, laughing uncontrollably.

Ginny grabbed it and opened the small mirror, listening to her friends gales of laugher. "What?" She moved the mirror so she could look at her own left cheek. "Oh My God!" Ginny spotted the reason why her friends were laughing so hard.

In History of Magic, Ginny was in such a stupor that she rested her head on her hand and fell asleep. Her hand left a large red mark on her face. "Damn!" she yelled, and started rubbing her cheek.

Kiki giggled, "Try to see if you can cover up the red with my make-up."

Ginny grabbed the small pad and swiped it in the creamy colored powder. With one hand she held the mirror up to her face, with the other she spread the powder over her red hand print. "Its not working!" she cried.

Kiki looked down at her watch and started giggling again, "And you only have five minutes to get to Harry's office for tea." Ginny growled.

"Forget it!" she barked, still climbing the stairs, "maybe he won't notice."

They all started laughing again. Xander patted her arm, "Right, maybe he won't notice that you have a Grand Canyon sized hand print on her face!" Ginny slapped his arm and walked down the corridor, leaving her friends laughing hard, walking up the stairs to the common room.

Ginny reached Harry's office and she lifted her hand to knock softly on his door. "Its open," his voice rang from inside.

Ginny smoothed out her hair and silently prayed that her hand print went away. Ginny slowly turned the cool metal of his doorknob.

"Ginny," he smiled from behind his desk. She closed the door and he stood up, "What happened?"

He came from behind his desk. Ginny noticed that most of his office was still in boxes. "What?"

"Your face," he pointed to her left cheek.

Ginny blushed as he walked over to her. "Oh, I just fell asleep in History of Magic."

Harry laughed and raised his hand to touch her cheek. Ginny felt the all- too-familiar feeling of her pulse momentarily stopping. "It looks like someone slapped you." Harry rubbed her cheek with his large, warm hands.

Ginny smiled and closed her eyes, just taking in the feeling. She opened her eyes again and Harry was staring at her. His green eyes were twinkling and looked very energetic.

Ginny brought her hand to her stomach as his fingers started rubbing her cheek, placing runaway hairs behind her ear, and letting his fingertips run over the edges of her ears and jaw bone. Ginny bit her bottom lip. Her breathing became shallow and she had to start breathing through her mouth so not to pass out.

Harry's fingers began to trace the features on her face. Ginny closed her eyes and let Harry touch her freckles. She began feeling very light, like she was being lifted up off the ground, but her feet were planted firmly on the floor. Harry's fingertips were tracing her lips and Ginny parted them slightly.

Harry let his hand drop from her face to her shoulder and down her arm as he brought her into an embrace. His cheek rested on the side of her face. She closed her eyes and hung her arms limply on his. He slowly backed away. Ginny had half a mind to pull him back, but her mind and body weren't really speaking at the moment.

Harry's eyes were glued on her shoulder and Ginny could feel his warm breath tickling her neck. He looked back at Ginny, his eyes tracing down to her lips. She noticed this and her jaw dropped a little in shock. Harry leaned in a little further, their noses just barely touching which caused an electrical shock to flow through Ginny's body.

Ginny wanted to close the space between them. They were so close at the moment that their breath was mingling in each other mouths. Ginny's hands wouldn't leave her stomach, she couldn't move, glued to the spot in a daze. Harry began to come closer, he was about to kiss her...

"Maybe," Ginny said turning her face and backing away, "I should..."

Harry looked at her and backed away slowly. "I should go." Ginny said more confidently, her eyes were burning and it felt like she had just been outside in a bad fog.

Ginny didn't wait for an answer. She walked two feet towards the door. Her legs were shaking and her head felt very light. She grabbed the doorknob and slowly opened it she stepped out without looking at Harry. She didn't know what just happened.

Ginny ran down the hall until she was a corridor over and she sunk down to the floor between two knights so she could think.

"Ginny Weasley, what were you thinking?" She said to herself. She pulled her knees up and hugged them and rested her head on them. She sat there thinking to herself. "Next time," she told herself sarcastically, "I'll let my conscience be my guide."

"What the hell, Ginny Weasley?" Ginny looked up to the owner of the voice.

"Hey Xander." Ginny rested her head on his shoulder as he sat down next to her.

"I was sure that tea with Harry would take much more time than this, did something happen?" Xander looked into Ginny's eyes and could tell something did. "What?"

Ginny explained to him all what happened. Her eyes were getting watery. "I was just saying how my subconscious told me to stop. It was a joke, you know: 'let your conscience be your guide'." Xander smiled at her.

"What?" She whispered, "You're just upset because I got closer to kissing a boy than you did!"

Xander smiled. "Oh, I don't know about that." 

"Xander!" Ginny giggled. "You fag!"

Xander shrugged, "What can I say?" Xander paused, "Yes." They giggled all the way back to the Common Room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Falling For A Professor**

**By: foralskelse**

Chapter 4: Do I Need to Spell it Out?

Ginny woke up the next morning, the smell of the night's rain wafted through her open window. She started mumbling a bit, "Saturday," That night she told Kiki and Dawn what happened, Xander said he would tell Colin.

Ginny rolled out of bed to find her dorm empty, she checked the clock, "Its 10am, you sleepy head!" It yelled to her. Ginny growled and pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a Weird Sisters T-shirt that Tonks gave her.

Ginny slumped down stairs, her stomach growled, she skipped breakfast. When she reached the bottom step, Xander was there and he smiled at her, "Get this," he said, he looked really amused by something, "Colin spent longer in the bathroom today than I did."

"EWW! Xander, I didn't want to hear about that," Ginny got a disgusted look on her face, "Colin is my friend, I really don't appreciate you telling me he is 'Polishing his Broomstick' in the bathrooms!"

Xander laughed, "No! Look," Xander pointed to Colin who just walked up to Dawn. His hair looked wet, "He asked me how to use gel." Xander giggled in Ginny's ear.

"Colin," Dawn smiled sweetly, "did you do something to your hair?"

Colin looked confused for a second and then nodded slowly, "Yes."

"Oh." She said then bent over her book. Colin looked up at Ginny and Xander, both mouthed, "Tell her she looks nice today."

Colin shrugged, "What?" He mouthed.

Ginny rolled her eyes and mouthed again, "She looks pretty!"

Colin nodded and mouthed, "I know."

Xander laughed and mouthed, "Tell her that."

"You look pretty." Colin said quickly.

Dawn looked up and smiled, "Thank you Colin." She looked back down at her book.

Colin smiled for a minute then looked back at Ginny and Xander. Xander mouthed, "Asked her out."

"What?" Colin mouthed, frightened.

Ginny put out two fingers like a little person walking in midair. "Oh!" Colin said, out loud, Dawn looked up and Colin stuttered for a minute then said, "Want to go take a walk?"

Xander hit his forehead with a disgusted look on his face and Ginny tossed her hands up in the air and turned around not wanting to look. 'A walk?' Ginny asked herself, 'Dawn doesn't like that!'

"Sure!" Dawn said, standing up and walking out of the common room with him.

Ginny turned and looked at Xander, both started laughing. "I didn't think she would say yes!" They continued laughing.

Ginny spent the day in the library doing homework with Kiki. Their idea of doing homework together meant sitting in the library doing magazine quizzes and checking out the 7th year Hufflepuff boys taking books off the top shelf.

They didn't skip lunch this time, but noticed who was skipping this meal. "Where is Dawn and Colin?" Ginny asked Xander.

He smiled evilly, "Maybe they are still out on their walk." They began to laugh, Kiki just flipping lazily through her magazine.

However, they did make it for dinner. "Enjoy your walk?" Xander asked Colin who was sitting in between him and Ginny.

Colin didn't answer, he looked to see if Dawn was watching but she was laughing while looking at Kiki's magazine. "Wait," Ginny said looking at his green jumper. "Were you wearing that earlier?"

Colin's eyebrows scrunched together and he put on a frown, "I fell in the mud." He looked utterly unhappy about this and it didn't help that Ginny and Xander began laughing uncontrollably.

Ginny and Xander only shut up when the Headmaster stood up. They glanced over at Dumbledore, who, by-the-way, still looked old. "Students, what with recent events last year," Ginny's smile faded away a little, he was talking about Harry's defeat of Voldemort. She looked over at him, the first time since yesterday. He was looking at her.

Ginny tore her eyes away and put them back on Dumbledore. Why was Harry looking at her? 'Maybe he just wants to apologize,' Ginny told herself, 'he shouldn't, I wanted him to kiss me...maybe he is apologizing because he didn't want to kiss me and he is saying sorry for getting my hopes up, but I was the one who didn't let him--' Ginny thoughts were interrupted by the Headmaster.

"Our houses still aren't very united so, we are going to have a Halloween Masquerade Ball. Everyone will get masks that cover the upper part of their face. There will be dancing and food and there is only 2 rules: 1)Don't tell anyone who you are and 2)Be yourself."

Ginny giggled a bit, "So, be yourself, but don't tell anyone?"

Xander smiled, "Exactly!" Ginny giggled.

"So that means no dates?" Kiki asked.

"Yeah, but," Dawn said, leaning in so only her friends could hear here, "Lets know who each other is so we don't end up dating each other." They all nodded, Colin's agreement was a little later than everyone else.

Ginny leaned over and whispered to Colin, "You can always change costumes halfway through the night." Colin smiled at her.

Ginny and her friends were busy over the next couple of weeks working on their masks and costumes when not in classes or Quidditch practice, which wasn't a lot of time for Ginny and Xander, who were both on the Quidditch team.

Ginny was happy with all her classes now, she was doing so good in most that they hardly gave her any homework, although she always ended up with at least a few inches of homework in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ginny felt so uncomfortable around Harry, even more that she usually did.

During the class, Ginny was always looking down at her hands and when Harry would call on her she would start out her answer with, "Well, Professor Potter..." keeping her face down, even if she already knew the answer by heart she would pretend to refer to her notes or books, not daring to look at him.

Maybe the sense of distance between him and Ginny made Harry ask almost every question to Ginny and give her 10 points for every right answer. Ginny and her friends were positive that she earned about one hundred points a week for just Harry's class. Of course they do lose about one hundred points a week from Snape.

Ginny seemed to inherit the Twins sense of humor for things, much to the dislike of Snape but Fred and George were only too delighted at this discoverment so they send her numerous bewitched candies and sweets for her to "leave behind" in the common room and watch first years pick them up.

Ginny found, that all the commotion from when a second year who eat a tail toffee (a wonder toffee candy that made the consumer sprout a tail for an hour) was too much for her to try and make her costume. Ginny and her friends would spend times before dinner and during the weekends to run up to their room to make their masks. Ginny's was a dark deep red, Kiki's was bright yellow, and Dawn's was black and gold.

It was about a week before Halloween, which was on a Saturday, and Ginny found herself, once again, in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ginny, like she always did, was keeping her head down.

"Ewww!" Sara and Beth would yell from the first row as Harry asked them to pet one of his magical creatures, Xander would joke about this in Ginny's ear, "I'm sure," he would whisper, "that they wouldn't mind touching HIS magical creature." Ginny giggled.

"Ew, Xander!" Dawn giggled from behind them.

"Of course," Xander smiled at Dawn and turned his face back to Ginny, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind YOU touching HIS magical creature."

Ginny slapped his hand and giggled. Colin poked the back of Xander's head with his sugar quill and told him to looked up, Harry was starring at Ginny. Xander nudged her in the ribs and motioned to Harry who was walking their way.

"Mr. Jeffory, I have wonderful hearing," Harry's eyes twinkled, "and I wouldn't mind if Ginny touched MY magical creature." His eyes were twinkling happily from behind his glasses.

Ginny's head jerked up as if saying, 'How could you talk about something like that about me in front of the whole class.' But her face split into a smile when she noticed that he was holding out his magical creature, the real one, not the 'magic wand' or 'flying broomstick' as her brothers and friends would refer to their...yeah.

Ginny picked her hand up and touched it, it was black and all furry with two scaly ears and it's belly was bald and red. Ginny looked up at Harry who looked thoroughly amused. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Any time, Miss Weasley, any time." He smiled and seemed to be holding back a laugh.

Xander rested his chin on the palm of his hand and stared at Ginny, giggles escaping his lips and Ginny just pushed his arms out from under his face so that it would fall a few inches. But that was the best payback she could do at the moment because Harry was playing with his magical creature which caused more giggles from the 5 friends.


End file.
